Scouring implement



Dlec. 5, 1933. R- B, KlNMAN 41,937,577

SCOURING IMPLEMENT Filed 0G17. 31, 1931 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 1933 seyUNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE SCOURING mPLEMEN'r Russell B. lKingman,Orange, N. J., assignor to Metal Textile Corporation, West Orange, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1931. Serial No.572,385

s claims. (o1. 15-zom This invention relates to improvements in vscouring implements comprising abrasive metallic material suitable forscraping pots, pans and other kitchen utensils and for general surfacecleaning operations requiring a mild abrasive action. Y

This invention has for its principal object to provide a novel scouringimplement in the form of a body'comprising spirally convolute metallicmaterial .looped upon itself and having a consolidated secured or boundcentral portion from which the free loop ends radiate and by which thelatter are retained against displacement or undesirable elongation orfraying out, and a finger piece or hand grip for attachment to said bodyso devised and combined therewith as to receive and retain theconsolidated central portion of said body withdrawn and tended frompossible contact with the surface to which the device is applied in use,whereby the yieldable or compressible portions of the body are alonepossible to be engaged with the surface undergoing treatment, so thatrisk voi marring or gouging such surface by the relatively hard centralportion of the body is avoided.

This invention has for a further object .to provide a scouring implementof the kind above mentioned including a `finger piece or hand grip meanswhich not only serves as a means for grasping and applying the implementin use, but which also serves asa fender or shield to guard the usersiingers against possible injurious scraping contact with a surface4being treated during rubbing application of the implement thereto.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig'. 1 is a side elevation of the scouring implement according to this.invention, and Fig. 2 is another side elevation of the same viewed atright angles to the plane of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top or plan -view ofthe novel scouring implement; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section,taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1'; Fig. 5 is also a vertical longitudinalsection, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a bottom View of theringer piece or hand grip of thevdevice.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate correspending parts.

iererring to the drawing, the metallic mate rial of which the abrasivebody of the implement is made, comprises a wire which is turned ortwisted upon itself to provide a roughly spirally convolved strand a, orotherwise deformed to provide a multiplicity of scraping projections orpoints along its length. Preferably the wire is of iiat ribbon-like formor of angular crosssectional shape;4 although Wire of any crosssectionalshape, round or angular, may be employed. The flat ribbon-like wire,however, when spirally convolved, provides a multiplicity oi chisel-likescraping edges or projections calculated to provide a maximum ofabrading effect. While it is possible to use the metallic strand a`alone, preferably, however, a flexible carrier core of metallic wire ortextile cord b is employed upon and around which is convolved or gimpedthe metallic strand a. Preferably the metallic mate-- rial employed forthe gimping a and for the carrier core b is of relatively non-corrosivechar- 7c actor; for.example, copper aords a good material, both byreason oi its relatively non-corrosive character as well as because ofits comparatively 'hard nature, whereby its scraping or abradingfunctions are rendered more eicient.

In making upthe body of the implement from metallic material of the kinddescribed, the strand oi material is wound transversely around asuitable mandrel'or support or as to be looped back and forth uponitself. The looped material is then gathered and hunched togetherintermediate the free loop ends 10, and suitably bound into aconsolidated center portion 11 byvwinding a tiewire 12 around thelatter, or by otherwise suitably securing the same. The thus arrangedmaterial, after removal from the mandrel iorms a body in which the freeloop ends 10 radiate from the consolidated center portion 11. 1n orderto reduce the mass of the center portion 11 as much as possible, it ispreferable that the gimping, 96 as spirally convolved about a carriercore, be drawn outwardly and oppositely toward the iree loop ends tostretch the same along the central portions of the looped material, soas to cause the convolutions to closely hug such central portions 100thus thinning or attenuating the same, so that, when binding such centerportions together, the same will be closely compacted into comparativelydense central mass, from which the fluilier free loop ends extend toiorm a comparatively easily yieldable or compressible body, much in themanner and form disclosed in prior 'United States Letters Patent No.1,713,975, to Mayer, dated May 2, 1929. f

Combined with the abrasive metallic body, Dro- Apossible to be engagedwith such surface.

viding the working element of the implement, is a novel finger piece orhand grip, preferably made as an integral member molded from a suitableplastic material, such, for example, as a phenolic condensation product.This finger piece or hand grip comprises a base 13 of suitableperipheral shape, preferably circular, and having a concave seat 14 atits under side. Integral with and projecting upwardly from said base isa grip portion 15 diametrically disposed transversely across said base13. Said grip portion is of a width somewhat less than the width ordiameter of the base, and of a thickness substantially less than itswidth, whereby substantially fiat faces are provided on opposite sidesthereof to afford finger engageable surfaces. Preferably said gripportion is of somewhat upwardly tapering conformation. Formed in thecentral portion 0f the seat cavity 14 of the base 13 is an inwardlycountersunk socket 16. Also formed in the base 13 for upward extensioninto the body of said grip portion 15 adjacent to diametrically oppositesides of said socket 1.6 are a pair of receiving openings 17 in whichare engaged and anchored the legs 18 of a fastening staple 19 whichserves as a means for connecting the abrasive metallic element of theimplement to the finger piece or hand grip.

In connecting the abrasive metallic member to the finger piece or ha'ndgrip. the former is applied to the underside of the latter so that itsmiddle rportion underlies the base 13 within the' 19 not only firmlyjoins the abrasive metallic member and finger piece together, but alsofirmly presses and holds the relatively hard center portion 11 of theformer in the socket 16 of the latter, so that such hard center portion11 and the surrounding staple end are drawn into the confines of theconcave seat 14 and within or above the plane of the periphery of thebase 13 (indicated by the dot and dash line C-C in Fig. 5), wherebythese relatively hard elements are fended from possible contact with thesurface over which the implement is 'rubbed in use, leaving only therelatively soft, yieldable and vcompressible parts of the metallicabrasive member BY this arrangement, no matter how strongly theimplement may be pressed upon and rubbed over the surface undergoingtreatment, all risk of gouging or like injury to such surface by a hardunyielding element is avoided.

i Preferably the staple legs 18 are provided `with downwardly directedspurs or other roughening means, as shownin Fig. 5, whereby a strongfrictional engagement thereof with the walls of the openings 17 isassured, to the end that the staple will strongly resist displacementfrom its connected relation to the finger piece.

The form of the finger piece, comprising the spreading base 13 anddiametrically disposed substantially fiat sided grip portion 15, is suchthat not only does the grip portion 15 provide a means by which theimplement may be easily and conveniently grasped by the fingers (asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 4) so as to be easily impelled withdesired rubbing action upon and over the surface desired to be cleaned,but also lthe spread of the base 13, interposed between the grip portion15 and the metallic abrasive element of the implement serves as aprotecting guard for the user's fingers, whereby the latter 'are fendedor shielded against possible injurious scraping contact with the surfacebeing treated during rubbing application of the implement thereto.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof` it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall' be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-`

1. In combination, an abrasive member com prising spirally convolutemetallic material looped upon itself and having the intermediateportions thereof between its free loop ends bunched together, a tie-wirewound around said intermediate bunched portions to provide acomparatively hard compacted center portion from which the free loopends radiate to form a relatively soft yieldable mass, a finger/piecehaving a base to overlie the middle of said abrasive member and adiametrically disposed grip portion upstanding therefrom, said basehaving an up wardly extending socket in its underside to receive saidcompacted center portionof said abrasive member together with saidencircling tiewire to dispose the same above the plane of the peripheryof said base and above the working portions of the soft yieldable massof said abrasive member, and means for securing said abrasive member insuch assembled relation to -said finger piece.

2. The combination with an abrasive member comprising spirally convolutemetallic material looped upon itself and the portions thereof be'- tweenfree loop ends being bunched together and bound to provide acomparatively hard compacted center portion from which the free loopends .radiate to form a relatively soft yieldable mass,

of a finger piece having a base provided with a concave seat at itsunderside to receive the central part of said abrasive member wherebythe free loop ends of the latter project freely beyond the baseperiphery, a grip portion diametrically disposed in upstanding relationto and from said base, said base having a socket extending upwardly fromthe lcenter of said concave seat toward said grip portion to receivesaid compacted center portion of said abrasive member to dispose thesame in a plane above the plane of the periphery of said base and abovethe working portions of the soft yieldable mass of said abrasive member,said finger piece having openings on diametrically opposite sides ofsaid socket extending through said base and upwardly into said gripportion, anda staple engaging around the compacted vcenter portion ofsaid abrasive member, the legs of said staple being entered andanchoredin said openings.

3. The combination with an abrasive member comprising spirally convolutemetallic material looped upon itself, a tie-wire wound around theintermediate portions of said looped material for binding saidintermediate portions together t0 provide a comparatively hard compactedcenter portion from which the free loop ends radiate to disposing thesame in a plane above the plane oi' the periphery of said base and abovethe workingA portions of the soft yieldable mass of said abrasivemember, said nger piece having openings on diametrically opposite sideso! said socket extending upwardly through said base and into saidgripped portions, and a staple engaging around said tie-wire and thecompacted center portion of said abrasive member, the legsof saidvstaple being entered and anchored in said openings.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN.

